Already in 1884 cooperatives were founded all over Istria, which among other things engaged in processing grapes. Modern cellars so-called Cantine sociali greatly contributed to the quality of Istria’s vinification. Such cellars were located in Buje, Brtonigla, Motovun, Novigrad, Poreč, Rovinj and Umag and winemakers brought all their grapes to be processed there.

For the first time Istrian wines were given official recognition at the Great world wine exhibition in Turin in 1902, where they were proclaimed among the best in the world, right after leading wine countries of that time - Spain and France. This referred to red wines, especially Teran which was at that time the predominant variety in Istria.

Istrian Malvasia, was publicly presented for the first time at the Jubilee economic exhibition in Zagreb in 1891.

In Istria, wine exhibitions organized as events where wine is evaluated and awarded, have a very long tradition. “Public experiment of Istrian wines, that would be the first of its kind in the region” was organized on November 27 and 28, 1901 by the “Gospodarsko družtvo” in Pazin.